Apparatus for the selection of coded elements filed at random

ABSTRACT

A device having a file tray in which coded cards are filed randomly combines the functions of card selection and card punching. Cards are selected by impressing a code upon a translator which shifts appropriate selector slides into code notches formed in the cards. When cards are to be punched rather than selected, interposers individual to the several slides actuate corresponding punches to notch a card supported in a card slot outside the file tray.

llnited States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee L. Allan Cross, Jr.

Lambertville, NJ.

May 9, 1969 Dec. 7, 1971 Randomatic Data Systems, Inc.

Original application Mar. 9, 1969, Ser. No. 438,216, now Patent No. 3,486,617, dated Dec. 30, 1969. Divided and this application May 9, 1969, Ser. No. 840,079

APPARATUS FOR THE SELECTION OF CODED ELEMENTS FILED AT RANDOM 4 Claims, 26 Drawing Figs.

234/94, 234/109, 234/115 Int. Cl G06k 1/08 Field of Search 234/40,

sis 282 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,630,863 3/1953 Hooe 234/48 2,642,940 6/1953 Braun 234/46 X 2,720,263 10/1955 Webb et al 234/48 3,231,]86 l/l966 Cross, Jr 234/48 Primary Examinerwilliam S. Lawson Attorney-Sperry and Zoda ABSTRACT: A device having a file tray in which coded cards are filed randomly combines the functions of card selection and card punching.

Cards are selected by impressing a code upon a translator which shifts appropriate selector slides into code notches formed in the cards. When cards are to be punched rather than selected, interposers individual to the several slides actuate corresponding punches to notch a card supported in a card slot outside the file tray.

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ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR THE SELECTION OF CODED ELEMENTS FILED A'll RANDOM The present application is a division of application Ser. No. 438,216, filed Mar. 9, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,617.

Storing and retrieving information is a field of endeavor that is presently experiencing tremendous growth. The many developments in the art, occurring in rapidly following succession, are testimony in themselves of the great importance which the industrial and business world places upon dataprocessing systems falling in this category.

Those systems of this type in which the information is coded and retained on a card or equivalent cardlike element should meet certain basic requirements. Such a system should permit cards to be coded with maximum speed, ease, and simplicity. It should permit cards to be filed or otherwise stored with maximum speed and case. And, it should produce wanted cards accurately, efficiently, and rapidly.

Many information storage and retrieval systems recently devised do meet the basic tests. However, in order to meet these cardinal requirements, the designers of the equipment have often built some accompanying disadvantages or deficiencies into their apparatus.

For example, in some systems, the cards themselves have metallic shields or armatures that become a drawback should it be desired to process the cards in other ways after removal from their storage positions. Other systems involve the necessity of coding the cards in such a way that they can be easily decoded and read by unauthorized individuals. It may be relatively unimportant, in some situations, whether or not the card can be so read, It is very definitely important in other instances, however, that the code on the card be such as to make it extremely difficult to be solved, and thus read, by unauthorized personnel or even those workers whose regular task it is to store and retrieve the cards.

In still other systems of which I have knowledge, the basic requirements described above have been met only at the expense of simplicity and compactness of the apparatus. This is obviously a disadvantage. No business or industry can profitably allow equipment to occupy an excessive amount of space, nor can the equipment be profitably used if it is complicated to the point where repairs and maintenance are disturbingly frequent.

Still further, in systems of the type described it is often impossible, except perhaps at great expense, to permit use of the apparatus in a multiple arrangement, operable from a single keyboard or console common to all of the various pieces of equipment. Equipment, in a good design, should be such as to permit a customer to use either one or many information storage and retrieval files, as desired.

A further problem in the art relates to the matter of coding the cards themselves. Reference is not here made to the code per se, which in general should not be such as to permit ready decoding by unauthorized individuals. Rather, the difficulty which has persisted has to do with the provision of welldesigned apparatus that can be used both for card punching, and also for card storage and retrieval. In many instances, the card-punching mechanism has been a completely different machine, constructed at great expense and naturally carrying its own heavy repair and maintenance requirements.

Second, to allow operation at high speed, for fast retrieval of information;

Third, to sharply reduce errors, jamming, and other malfunctions;

Fourth, to provide a novel divider structure, that will adjust automatically to widely differing card thickness and quantities, as well as to different operating conditions occurring in a single cycle;

Fifth, to improve the mechanism that physically selects cards, separates them from unwanted cards, and moves them to positions in which they are readily accessible for use;

Sixth, to design for array of a number of the machines in a group if this should be desired, with all the machines in the group to be operated from a single keyboard;

Seventh, to allow use of the apparatus either with or without a card-punching means, thus to, in effect, temporarily convert the apparatus into a card-punching device from its normal card selection and ejection functions; and

Eighth, to provide an apparatus which, though characterized by a high degree of versatility and efficiency, will be of compact size and form and will cost much less than equivalent equipment that does not do more.

Summarized briefly, the invention includes a file tray having an opening providing access to a quantity of random-filed cards. Dividers separate the cards into readily handled decks to assure minimal surface adhesion and thereby facilitate wanted card selection and ejection. The cards are notched, in a coded configuration covered in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,242.

Underlying the several decks is a series of parallel selector slides. By operation of a keyboard to impress upon the equipment a selected code corresponding to that of the desired cards, certain selector slides will be elevated in a matching configuration.

Cards coded in correspondence with the elevated slides are next freed for gravitation to lowered positions, then tilted while the unwanted cards are lifted slightly to clear the ejecting mechanism of the apparatus, and finally shifted laterally for easy manual or mechanical removal.

During the card selection and ejection process, a novel vibrating assembly acts on the cards to minimize surface adhesion and thus free the selected cards for gravitation. The vibrating means is at the same time a cam on which the slides representing the wanted code are biased to an operating position.

Dividers have been previously mentioned. These retain the several decks and adjust automatically to the deck thickness. When the machine is off, they grip the decks firmly. When the machine is on standby, they move to open positions in which each deck now occupies a space which is greater by a predetermined amount than the deck thickness, thus minimizing surface adhesion between cards when the apparatus is being cycled to produce wanted cards. When a cycle reaches its conclusion, the dividers move to sensing positions in which they detect the extent to which the deck has been thinned by removal of wanted cards. They then return to an open spacing which is adjusted to exceed the new deck thickness by the same predetermined amount mentioned previously herein.

A card-notching mechanism, comprising an improved version of one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,186, is mountable This is the general background in respect to equipment of this type, and it is proposed in carrying out the invention to eliminate the problems which have heretofore existed.

My U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,631 covers an apparatus for the storage and retrieval of information. In carrying out its functions, the apparatus acts upon random-filed cards or equivalent data-carrying elements, coded for selection by keyboard operation. They are selected from the mass, and are quickly produced for use, by a single-cycle operation of the equipment.

The main, broad purpose of the present application is to improve generally upon the inventions covered in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,231,168; 3,292,631; and 3,303,492.

in a more particular sense, the objects of the present invention are the following:

First, to simplify the equipment to the maximum extent;

directly within the apparatus. In no way does it interfere with the card selecting and ejecting function. Yet it is ready at all times for use in punching new cards that are to be added to the files. The card-punching mechanism can be either assembled in or left out of the apparatus completely, according to the needs of the particular user.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the present invention, showing a single file tray in association with a keyboard;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front end elevational view of the apparatus with the cover removed, as seen from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the equipment with the cover removed, portions being broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal view, portions being broken away, substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, the selector slides being shown in full lines in a normal, lowered position and in dash lines in a raised use position;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view, still further enlarged, taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, with the cards and associated portions of the mechanism being shown in their normal, rest positions between operating cycles of the equipment, portions of the equipment being broken away;

FIGS. 6-10 are views like FIG. 5 showing successively following stages of a single operating cycle;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the selector slides fragrnentarily in side elevation, an associated combination vibrating and cam bar being shown in cross section, the full line showing the slide in its normal, latched position and the dash lines showing the same in its released, raised position;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged detail view showing the rear end portion of one of the selector slides in side elevation, in association with a slide return yoke illustrated in transverse section, the full lines showing the slide in its normal, latched position and the dash lines showing the same in its released, raised position;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical sectional view showing the card-punching mechanism in its normally retracted position, taken substantially on line 13- 13 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 14 is a view like FIG. 13 showing the card-punching mechanism in its punching position with a card inserted;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary, horizontal sectional view on line 15-15 of FIG. 2, showing the translator and its associated stepping means in rest position;

Hg. 16 is a view like FIG. 15 with the parts in a stepping position;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the rear end portion of the apparatus with the cover removed, taken substantially on line 17-17 of FIG. 1 and showing the divider assembly in unlocked position;

FIG. 18 is a view like FIG. 17 in which the divider assembly is locked;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged horizontal section substantially on line 19-19 of FIG. 5 showing the sweeper bar mechanism in its home position;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged fragmentary view substantially on line 20-20 of FIG. 3 showing the sweeper bar operating mechanism in its rest position, and error correction means.

FIG. 21 is a view like FIG. 19 with the sweeper bar retracted from its normal card-underlying home position;

FIG. 22 is a view like FIG. 20 with the sweeper bar operating mechanism unlatched to retract the sweeper bar;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section substantially on line 23-23 of FIG. 3, showing the vertical lift bar in its fully lowered position, together with its operating mechanism;

FIG. 24 is a still further enlarged detail sectional view on the same cutting plane as FIG. 23 showing the lift bar operating mechanism;

FIG. 25 is a schematic view showing a portion of the electrical circuitry embodied in the device; and

FIG. 26 is a schematic view of the portion of the circuitry controlling the motor operation and tile tray selection.

In carrying out my invention, I have found it expedient to assemble a plurality of mechanisms, readily identifiable one from another, into a unitary apparatus that produces the desired results. These mechanisms or assemblies are listed below. To facilitate understanding of the invention, I have broken down, in a corresponding manner, the detailed description of the invention, and have added a section explaining the complete operational sequence.

Thus, the description proceeds under the following headings:

I. Support structure;

2. Selector slide assembly and operating mechanism therefor;

3. Sweeper bar assembly;

4. Vertical lift mechanism;

5. Divider assembly;

6. Card punch mechanism;

7. Drive mechanism;

8. Operation: card selection and ejection; and

9. Electrical circuits.

SUPPORT STRUCTURE In carrying out my invention, I utilize an elongated, approximately rectangular, comparatively shallow file tray generally designated 20, in association with a keyboard generally designated 22. So far as its internal construction is concerned, the keyboard essentially comprises merely an assembly of switches, controlling circuits to various sections of the apparatus. Hence, it will not be further discussed herein except to identify its keys or buttons in relation to the particular components of tray 20 which they control.

Tray 20 includes a housing generally designated 24, having (FIGS. 2 and 4) a flat, rectangular sheet metal base 26 formed along opposite sides thereof with upwardly turned longitudinal flanges 28. A front end plate 30, rear end plate 32, and an open-ended cover 34 having depending sidewalls 35, are removably, fixedly secured to the base to complete the housing.

In the cover, there is a large, rectangular access opening 36 through which cards 37 or equivalent information-bearing elements can be inserted or removed.

Mounted upon the base 26, in a horizontal position elevated slightly above the base, is a flat, rectangular support plate 38. This is approximately coextensive in length with, but is slightly narrower than, the base. Plate 38 is spaced from the base by means of rectangularly spaced blocks 39. Projecting vertically upwardly from and rigidly secured to the respective side edge portions of the support plate 38 are longitudinally flanged sideplates 40, 42. These are substantially coextensive in length with the support plate. lntennediate the sideplates there is provided a divider or longitudinal partition 43 separating the rear end portion of the housing into a motor compartment and a gear compartment disposed in side-by-side relation.

Fixedly secured to and extending between the sideplates, well inwardly from the front and rear ends of the baseplate (see FIG. 3) are transversely disposed front and rear frame panels 44, 46 respectively. Thus, the support plate 38, sideplates 40, 42, and front and rear panels 44, 46 all cooperate in defining a support frame 47 fixedly mounted in the housing 24 on base 26.

SELECTOR SLIDE ASSEMBLY AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR In accordance with the invention, I provide a series of closely spaced, parallel, fiat, elongated selector members 48. These are in the form of slides that extend horizontally, in vertical planes, through the full length of a center compartment 49 of the housing defined between panels 44, 46, and project partially into front and rear compartments 51, 53 respectively. The selector slides are elevated slightly above the base 38 by four selector slide guides 50. The number is not critical. Guides 50 are afiixed to support plate 38 and are spaced longitudinally of the selector slides 48, extending transversely of the support frame 47 normally to the length of the slides. Each guide 50 has uniformly spaced, upwardly opening, deep, narrow guide slots 52, receiving the several slides 48. The slides 48 slide in the direction of their lengths within the guide slots. They can also, as shown in FIG. 6, move upwardly and downwardly within the slots.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 11, the several slides 48 are formed with downwardly opening cam recesses 54, of shallowly V-shaped form. There are two cam recesses formed in and spaced longitudinally of each slide. Since the several slides are identical, the corresponding cam recesses 54 thereof align transversely of the series of slides, so that there is a front transverse row and a rear transverse row of recesses in the slide series.

Joumaled in the sideplates 40, 42 of the support frame are front and rear rotary shafts 56 extending transversely of and below the series of slides 48. In the normal, full line position of the slides 48 shown in FIG. 4 (this being the slide position between operating cycles) the front and rear shafts 56 are respectively seated in the front and rear series of cam recesses 54. When, however, selected slides are to be raised to the dash line position shown in FIG. 4 (as later described herein) the slides so selected are moved forwardly. This causes them to be biased upwardly, as the inclined rear edges of the recesses 54 ride up on the shafts 56. In the final position of slides that have been so moved, the shafts 56 underlie the moved slides immediately rearwardly of the recesses 54 thereof.

The shafts 56, thus, constitute cam bars that bias the slides I upwardly from their normal, rest positions.

The shafts 56, however, are also vibrating devices. For this purpose, they are rotated by means of a driving connection extending from a motor 57 mounted on the support frame in rear end compartment 53. The driving connection will be described in detail hereinafter. It is sufficient to note at the present time that each shaft 56 is not perfectly round. Rather, its cross section is best described as basically square with heavily rounded comers.

As a result, when shafts 56 rotate they vibrate the selected or elevated slides 48. This vibratory motion is in turn transmitted to the cards 37 supported in contact with and extending transversely of the series of slides.

Surface adhesion of juxtaposed cards is thus rendered minimal. Therefore, a selected card, in a manner to be made apparent hereinafter is freed for gravitation to a lowered position in respect to the remaining, unwanted cards.

Again referring to FIG. 4, each slice is independently spring loaded for forward movement whenever it is freed for such movement. A crossbar 58 extends transversely of the support frame, being secured fixedly to the support plate 38 approximately medially between the ends of the slides. A plurality of expansion springs 60 are individually associated with the slides 48, and are connected between bar 58 and their associated slides. The springs are under tension effective to bias the slides in a forward direction. However, the slides are normally restrained against forward movement between operating cycles by a transversely extending, upstanding latch bar 62 (FIG. 4). This extends below the forward end portions of the slides, across the entire series of slides.

The slides are provided, at their front ends, with downwardly opening and recess 66 of approximately right-angular configuration. These define vertical shoulders 64 normally engaged by the latch bar 62 to restrain the slides against forward movement under the bias of springs 60. The recesses are continued to the forward extremities of the slides 48. At their front ends, there are shallowly V-shaped downwardly projecting cam projections 68. The cam projections 68 are aligned in a row extending transversely of the slide series,

when the slides are in their normal full line positions of FIG. 4.

In front end compartment 51 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), I provide a transverse row of five uniformly spaced cam plates 70. These are flat, lie in vertical planes, and are movable into coplanar relation with selected slides 48. When so moved, the cam plates lie adjacent the projections 68 of the slides with which the plates have become coincident. If, now, the plates are moved to the left in FIG. 4, they will cam the slides with which they are coplanar upwardly by camming engagement with the projections 68 of said slides. Though this upward slide movement is only slight, it is enough to cause the affected slide to clear latch bar 62. The springs secured to the unlatched slides are thus free to contact and will bias the unlatched slides forwardly. As the slides move forwardly they ride up on bars 56 as previously described herein, to the dash line position of FIG. 4.

Each cam plate 70 is secured to the core 72 of an associated solenoid 74. Normally, the cores are extended under the bias of return springs 75, when the solenoids are in their normally deenergized condition. The energization of the solenoids is controlled by operation of code buttons or keys 76 of keyboard 22.

There are 10 keys, one for each of the digits "0" through 9." Depression of a selected key 76 impresses on the apparatus the digit corresponding to that key. Depression of selected keys in a following order impresses a complete desired, coded number on the apparatus. The number can have six digits or characters in the illustrated equipment, so that it can be as high as 999,999. v

It will be understood that six-digit numerical coding has been illustrated and described herein only by way of example. The apparatus, as will be recognized from the following description, can use other than numerical coding (for example, alphabetical). Further, the number of characters can be more or less than the six characters described herein, depending upon the code structure used.

The cards are coded correspondingly. If for instance the number 714,938 is impressed on the apparatus, all cards coded to this number will be produced. How this happens will now be described.

All the solenoids 74 are carried by a slidably mounted carriage generally designated 78, having a bedplate 80 to which the solenoids 74 are affixed. Bedplate 80 is carried by crossbars 82, sliding in slideways 84 of support rails 86 mounted upon the base plate 38.

Referring to FIG. 3, at one end of the carriage 78 the bedplate 80 has an extension on which is mounted a ratchet 88, engaged by a pawl 90. The ratchet has six notches in the present instance. Each notch is associated with corresponding selector slides 48 occurring in each of five groups of slides. Thus referring to FIG. 5, one sees that there are 30 slides, comprising five groups of six slides each. Each group is acted upon by a particular one of the five solenoids 74. The groups have been designated 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively.

Referring to FIG. 5, corresponding slides in the several groups have been given the same designation within their groups. Thus, in each group there are slides a, b, c, d, e and f. All slides that are identified by the letter a are corresponding slides, and have the same location within their groups. The same is true for all the slides designated b, all the slides c, etc. In a six-digit, coded number, the first slide location (occupied by all the slides a) represents the first digit, the second slide location (occupied by all the slides b) represents the second digit, and so on through slide location f which represents the sixth and final digit. I utilize a modified binary code; so, to select a particular digit-any digit from 0 through 9-1 pair selected corresponding slides that are disposed in two predetermined groups, according to a code explained in detail in my copending application Ser. No. 285,336.

Thus, if the coded number 714,938, by way of example, is to be impressed upon the equipment, to produce all random-filed cards bearing this code, the procedure is to first locate all the cam plates 70 in coplanar relation with the slides a of groups 1 through 5. Stated otherwise, the first step is to locate the five solenoids 76 in line with the five slides a. Since the first digit of the wanted, complete number is 7," two of the solenoids, so located, are energized in a predetermined combination. These cause elevation of those slides a which, when paired, represent the numeral 7." For example, let it be assumed that these are the slides a of slide groups 3 and 4.

Normally, between cycles, the solenoids are all in line with the slides a of the several groups, so they will be ready for energization when the first digit is called for as described above.

The next step is to bodily shift all the solenoids, conjointly, to the next slide location. This movement is from right to left, viewing the apparatus as in FIGS. 5-10 and 15. The cam plates 70 and solenoids 74 will now be in line with all the slides b of the several groups. The digit now to be impressed upon the apparatus is l. According to the code as described in my copending application, this involves energizing solenoids associated with groups 1 and 5. Step by step, the bank of solenoids is advanced from one slide location to the next following slide location until it has acted upon slides at all six locations, in predetermined pairings of corresponding slides, to impress the complete number 714,938 upon the apparatus.

To move all the solenoids from location to location in this way, the carriage 78 is bodily shifted, step by step, through the cooperating action of the ratchet 88 and pawl 90. Pawl 90 normally (between cycles), is engaged in the notch of the ratchet 88, that is furthest from the several selector slides 48. This notch, designated 88a (see FIG. 15), corresponds to slide location a of groups 1 through 5. An expansion spring 92 connected between the pawl and the base plate 38 normally biases the pawl into engagement with the ratchet. When the carriage is advanced one step to the next slide location, the pawl, against the restraint of spring 92, moves out of notch 88a and enters the next notch 88b. The carriage is now so located as to position the several cam plates 70 in the next slide location, under all the slides b of the several groups I, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Two of the solenoids 74 are now energized by depression of a selected key 76 to impress the second coded digit (the digit I in the given example 714,938") on the apparatus.

The impression of each digit on the apparatus causes automatic one-step advancement of the carriage to the left as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 15. When it leaves notch 88b, pawl 90 is successively engaged in notches 88c, 88d, 88e, and 88f, corresponding to slide locations c, d, e, and f respectively. In each of these positions, another digit is impressed on the apparatus (in the given example, these would be the digits 4," 9, 3," and 8," respectively). After pawl 90 has entered notch 88f and all components shown in FIG. 15 are ready for return to their normal home positions shown in that FIG. of the drawings, a bellcrank lever (FIGS. 15 and 16) is utilized for returning the translator or carriage 78 to said home position thereof.

The bellcrank 94 is pivoted for horizontal swinging movement about a pin 95 mounted on the baseplate 38. The bellcrank has a long arm that bears against the adjacent end of translator 78, so that when the translator moves to the left in FIG. 15 from is rest position, it will rotate the bellcrank in a clockwise directions viewed in this figure of the drawing.

Eventually, afler the translator has moved to its last position with pawl 90 in notch 88f, the bellcrank is swung in a reverse direction to return the translator to its rest position. This is accomplished by movement of a bar 162 in the direction of the arrow seen in FIG. 15. The bar is so moved at a later stage in the cycle, and as shown, has a reversely extended finger 163 engaging a lug 96 depending from the short arm of the bellcrank to swing the bellcrank counterclockwise in FIG. 15.

The step by step advancement of the carriage 78, from its FIG. 15 home position to its final position with pawl 90 in the last notch 88f, is effected by a stepping solenoid 99 mounted on a bracket 98 affixed to support plate 38. Solenoid 99 has a core 100 to which is pivotally connected a laterally swingable, rectangular, pusher plate 101. The outer end of the pusher plate is connected, at the comer of the plate remote from pawl 90, to one end of an expansion spring 102, the other end of which is anchored to support plate 38. Spring 102, tending to contract, extends the core I in the deenergized normal condition of solenoid 99.

Pawl 90 is provided with a longitudinal slot 104, receiving pin 105 that extends upwardly from bracket plate 98. Pin 105 provides the pivot about which the pawl 90 swings, between its FIG. home position and its notch-disengaging position shown in FIG. 16.

The end of the pawl remote from the ratchet is reduced to provide a nose 106, and between nose I06 and pivot pin 105, spring 92 is connected, and is tensioned between return movement 38 and pawl 90. Spring 92 thus tends to rotate pawl 90 to a position in engagement with one of the notches its ratchet 88.

An elongated expansion spring 107 is connected between carriage 78 and the support structure, in a position such as to normally shift the carriage to the left in FIG. 15. The abovedescribed return movement of the carriage under the resetting action of bellcrank 94 against the force of the spring 107, which is thus placed under its maximum tension when pawl is in the notch 88a.

Each time the carriage is to be advanced one step, solenoid 99 is energized. Energizing of the solenoid 99 occurs simultaneously with energin'ng of two selected solenoids 74 for the purpose of elevating the selector slides 48 needed to impress a particular digit on the apparatus during the card selection process described previously herein. This occurs responsive to depression of the appropriate, selected key 76. Depression of a particular key 76 will energize the particular pair of solenoids 74 associated with that key. Regardless of which key 76 is depressed, however, stepping solenoid 99 will be energized simultaneously with the desired pair of solenoids 74.

Accordingly, when the selected solenoids 74 are energized in, for example, slide position a shown in FIG. 5, two of the selector slides will be elevated as previously described herein. At the same time, solenoid 99 will be energized and its core 100 will thus be retracted against the restraint of the spring 102.

The result will be that plate 101 will swing clockwise, viewing the same as in FIG. 15, to engage behind nose 106 of pawl 90.

When, now, the electrical signal produced by depressing key 76 is terminated, the solenoids 74 that were energized responsive to depression of that key will be deenergized. Solenoid 99 will also be deenergized, and spring 102 will accordingly be free to contract. This causes pawl 90 to swing clockwise, viewing the same as in FIG. 15, to its FIG. 16 position.

The instant that the pawl 90 is disengaged from notch 88a, spring 92 will tend to shift the pawl in the direction of its length, to the right in FIGS. 15 and 16, so as to move the nose 106 off the pusher plate 101. At the same time, spring 107 is free to contract, and shifts carriage 78 to the left in FIGS. 15 and I6. Spring 92 is simultaneously exerting pull upon the pawl tending to rotate the same counterclockwise in FIG. 16. The pawl thus engages in the next notch 88b.

In practice, this action occurs so rapidly as to be incapable of being followed by the human eye. Pawl 90, though disengaging from each notch in turn, never moves completely out of contact with the ratchet 99. Rather, due to the pull of the spring 92, the pawl follows the contour of the serrated edge of the ratchet. Therefore, the carriage 78, under the pull of spring 107, never skips a step, in its movement to the left, in FIG. 16, that is, pawl 90 engages in every notch from 88a through 88f, in succession.

When the pawl moves into the next following notch, the parts are returned to their position as shown in FIG. 15, ready for depression of another one of the keys 76 to the repeat the above-described operation in the next-following slide location b, c, d, e, or f as the case may be.

SWEEPER BAR ASSEMBLY Referring to FIGS. 3, 5-10, and 19, the supporting of cards 37 and their ejection, following selection of the cards in the manner described above, is accomplished as follows:

A sweeper bar assembly generally designated 108 includes an elongated sweeper bar support rail 110 fixedly mounted upon support plate 38. A flat, correspondingly elongated sweeper bar 112 is supported upon rail 110 for transverse movement. Bar 112 is shiftable between its normal position shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 10, in which position it supports cards 37 at their right-hand ends, viewing the same as in FIG. 5, and a moved position clear of the cards (FIGS. 7 8r. 9). To guide and limit the movement of the sweeper bar, I provide (FIG. I9) pins 114 secured to the sweeper bar, extending downwardly through transverse slots 116 formed in the sweeper bar support rail I10.

Movement of sweeper bar 112 between its normal position shown in FIG. and its moved position shown in FIG. 7 is effected by an elongated sweeper bar operator 118 (FIG. 19) of right-angular cross section. The sweeper bar operator 118 underlies rail 110 (FIG. 5). Projecting upwardly from the operator 113 at locations spaced longitudinally thereof are lugs 120 extending through cam slots 122 of bar 112, and through guide slots I24 formed in rail 110. In FIG. 19, bar 112, and operator 1 I8 are in normal position. To move the sweeper bar M2 to its FIG. 7 position, the operator 118 is shifted to the left, viewing the same as in FIG. 19. The extent of this movement is controlled by the length of the slots 124. As the operator 118 moves to the left, the lugs 120 bear against one edge of the cam slots 122, so as .to bias the sweeper bar 112 to the right in FIG. 5.

The extent of this movement of bar 112 is controlled by a length of the slots 116 of the rail 110. The slots 116, further, insure that the sweeper bar movement will be in a path directly normal to its length.

The movement of the sweeper bar operator 118 to the left in FIG. 19, for the purpose of shifting the sweeper bar 112 to its FIG. 7 position, is caused by contraction of an expansion coil spring 126 connected between the operator 118 and the sideplate 42. Normally, the operator 118 is latched in its FIG. 19 position, with the spring 126 under tension.

In FIG. 20, the sweeper operator 118 is shown in its normally latched position, so that the sweeper bar 112 would be in its FIG. 5 home position. The operator 118 is held in this position, against the force of the spring 126, by a vertically swingable latch arm 128 pivoted as at 130, at one end, on the support rail 110. At its other, free end, the latch arm 128 is cut away to define a shoulder 132.

A shift link I34, extending substanfially vertically adjacent latch arm 128 has, at its lower end, a sliding pivotal connection to the intermediate portion of the latch arm. To provide such connection, link 134 has a short, vertically extending slot I36, receiving pin 138 projecting laterally from arm 128. In the nonnal rest position of the parts as seen in FIG. 20, the link 134 is pushed downwardly by stub shaft 151 to an extent sufficient to locate pin 138 above the lower end of slot 136.

At its upper end, link 134 is connected to one end of an expansion spring 140, the other end of which is anchored to the side plate 42. Fixedly secured to the upper end portion of the link 1134, adjacent spring 140, is an obtusely angular stop plate M2, projecting beyond the upper end of the link, and extending normally into engagement with the periphery of wheel 143.

Intermediate its ends, link 134 is pivotally connected as at 144 to the outer end of an elongated error control line M6, the inner end of which is pivotally connected to the core of an error control solenoid 148.

To the underside of the forward end portion of operator 118 is fixedly secured a transversely extending abutment 150, which in the latched position of the operator 118 engages the shoulder 132.

The shift link I34 floats at its upper end, being normally pulled generally upwardly and to the right in FIG. 20 by the spring 140. The movement in an upward direction is limited by engagement of pin 138 against the lower end of slot 136. Movement of the link 134 to the right, at its upper end, is controlled by engagement of the stop plate I42 against the periphery of the wheel 143, with which the stop plate is in slidable contact. Wheel 143 is driven at slow speed, making a single rotation per cycle of operation of the apparatus.

Assuming that the operator 118 is in its normally latched position, at the appropriate time during the cycle it will be unlatched for the purpose of shifting the sweeper bar from its FIG. 5 to its FIG. 7 position. This occurs when wheel 143, dur ing its single slow rotation per cycle, turns to a position in which stub shaft 151 carried thereby bears against the link 134. Further rotation of the wheel in a counterclockwise direction, viewing the same as in FIG. 20, causes the link 134 to be shifted downwardly by stub shaft 151 against the restraint of the spring 140. Initially, the latch arm 128 will not move downwardly therewith, due to the lost motion connection defined by the slot 136 and pin 138. However, as wheel M3 continues to rotate, eventually the pin 138 will be forced downwardly by the link 134, so as to disengage the shoulder 132 from the abutment I50.

Operator 118 is now free to be pulled to the left in FIGS. 19 and 20 by the spring 126. This causes the sweeper bar 112 to be moved from its FIG. 5 to its FIG. 7 position.

The operator 118, in its released position, will be disposed as in FIG. 22. In this position of the operator 118, it will be so disposed that a laterally projecting lug 152 carried by its front end will be in the path of movement of the pointed free end of a return arm I54 fixed to the wheel 143 for rotation therewith. As the wheel continues to rotate during its single full tum per cycle, arm 154 will engage lug 152, and against the restraint of spring 126, will shift the operator 118 back to its FIG. 20 position.

It may be noted, in this connection, that when the operator 118 is in its released position, its abutment 150 will be disposed in slidable contact with the top edge of the latch arm 128, so as to hold the latch arm in a slightly lowered position. When arm 154 engages lug I52, and begins to move the same to the right in FIG. 22, abutment 150 will slide along the top edge of the arm 128, which will be pulled upwardly against the abutment by the force of spring transmitted through link I34. As soon as the abutment 1S0 clears the shoulder 132, arm 128 will snap back to its FIG. 20 position, to latch the operator I18 once again in its home or normal position.

It may sometimes happen that during the impression of a complete, coded number on the apparatus, as for example the above-mentioned number 714,938, the user may depress a wrong key 76. In these circumstances, one depresses the reset or error control button 156 (FIG. I). This energizes the solenoid M8. The core of the solenoid (FIG. 20) is Immediately retracted, so that through the medium of the link 146, the shift link 134 is thrown to the left at it upper end, pivoting about the pin 138. The upper end of the link 134 is thus moved out of the path of the stub shaft 151. Under the pull of spring 140, link 134 is instantly, under these circumstances, drawn upwardly at the left of stub shaft 151, viewing the same as in FIG. 20. This is permitted by the lost motion connection defined by pin 138 and slot 136. In effect, the upper end of link 134 travels about stub shaft 151 in a clockwise direction when this occurs. Ann 128, in these circumstances, remains latched with the sweeper operator ll 18.

The depression of the reset button 156 not only actuates the solenoid 148, but also starts motor 57 and hence cycles the machine without efi'ecting the ejection of the cards.

Thus, whenever the reset button is depressed, the sweeper bar will not be moved from its home position shown in FIG. 5, and this is the reason why the apparatus may be put through the rest of the cycle without ejecting any cards. The user then starts a new cycle by impressing the correct code number upon the apparatus. This time, assuming that a complete, correct code number has been impressed upon the apparatus by selection of the proper keys 76, one simply pushes a motor or actuator bar 157, which cycles the machine without operating the error control solenoid I48.

VERTICAL LIFT MECHANISM Cooperating with the sweeper mechanism, and with the selector slides, in supporting, selecting, and projecting cards that answer to the code impressed upon the machine, is a vertical lift mechanism generally designated 158.

The vertical lift mechanism I58, as shown in FIGS. 5-10, extends in parallel relation to the slides 48, along the side of the slide assembly opposite the side along which the sweeper mechanism is disposed. With the cards 37 positioned across the slide assembly, the vertical lift mechanism will underlie the left end portions of the cards, while the sweeper mechanism 108 underlies the right end portions (the terms left" and right" refer to the cards or other components only as they ap- 

1. In an apparatus of the class described combination mechanism for alternate use as a selector of information-bearing, cardlike elements having a series of code notches in one edge, and as a device to punch said notches in the elements, comprising: a. a support structure; b. a series of selector members each mounted in said structure for movement between a retracted first position and an elementselecting second position in which those members selected for and moved to the second position are registered with and are movable into the notches of wanted elements; c. a translator mounted on said structure for step-by-step advancement across the series of selector members and including means registering with successively following members in the step-by-step advancement of the translator, said means, in each position of the translator, being operable to initiate movement of the members registered therewith to their second position; and d. punching means including
 1. a yoke mounted above the several selector members for movement between a normal raised position and a lowered punching position.
 2. interposers mounted on the several selector members and movable into position below the yoke responsive to shifting of said members to their raised element-selecting position, said interposers having raised cam surfaces, the yoke in its lowered position extending in the path of said cam surfaces during return movement of the selector members from their normal raised position to their lowered position to depress the interposers responsive to said return movement, and
 3. punch means movable downwardly by the depressed interposers to notch a cardlike element supported in the path of the punches.
 2. interposers mounted on the several selector members and movable into position below the yoke responsive to shifting of said members to their raised element-selecting position, said interposers having raised cam surfaces, the yoke in its lowered position extending in the path of said cam surfaces during return movement of the selector members from their normal raised position to their lowered position to depress the interposers responsive to said return movement, and
 2. In an apparatus of the class described, combination mechanism as in claim 1, further including means responding to depression of the yoke to retract the several selector members and return the translator to starting position.
 3. In an apparatus of the class described, combination mechanism as in claim 2, wherein said last-named means includes a switch operable by the yoke on movement thereof to punching position, and drive means responding to operation of the switch to retract the selector members and return the translator.
 3. punch means movable downwardly by the depressed interposers to notch a cardlike element supported in the path of the punches.
 4. In an apparatus of the class described, combination mechanism as in claim 3 further including a die block having a slot for insertion of the element to be notched, said punch means comprising a plurality of punches, one for each interposer, carried by the block and movable past the slot to punch said notches in the elements. 